Sunday, April 22, 2012

I grew up wondering why anyone would want to eat coleslaw. The only version I had ever seen or tasted was the sugary, slimey variety commonly seen in the Midwest. I know I've seen it elsewhere, but in the Midwest it is the ONLY slaw to be found. Yikes that stuff is nasty.
So, imagine my surprise when I discovered that coleslaw is actually great when prepared, as with a tossed salad, just before serving with a minimum of moist ingredients to make it, er, soupy.
Since my weekly farm box contained a head of cabbage I decided to prepare fish tacos with coleslaw. This is another South Texas discovery: the combo of fish tacos with slaw is divine.
For the slaw:
cabbage, thinly crosscut and sliced into 2-inch julienne (approx 2 cups)
onion, approximately 1/8 cup chopped (or to taste)
1 tablespoon Louisiana red sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning (optional)
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
1/4 cup lightly chopped cilatro, stems included (optional)
mayonnaise, just enough to add moisture to the mix and adhere seasonings to slaw.

Mix ingredients together but hold on the mayo until just before service. The ingredients may be prepped in advance and mixed together just before service, as well. Since all the cilantro-haters are away from home I could add some fresh cilantro (yum) to the mixture! As with dressing any salad, this should be the last thing that you do before taking the food to the table.

Fish:
I used the frozen tortilla-crusted tilapia from Costco. I have done a previous post about fish tacos, but the slaw is different in this one!

Tortillas: I used low-carb. Prior to serving, heat a pan to medium high heat. Working quickly, place a tortilla in the pan and flip over after 5-10 seconds. Flip two or three times, then remove to an insulated wrap to retain warmth. Dishtowels will serve if you don't have a tortilla warmer. Repeat with each tortilla. Tortillas are ALWAYS tastier when warmed up this way. Avoid microwaving them as it makes them tough.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Roasting carrots. As part of my eat more veggies campaign, I decided to roast 2 packages of carrots and eat them when I feel hungry, instead of reaching for something that I should not eat. Wash and peel the outer layer of each carrot. Cut in half, and in some cases, depending on the thickness of the carrot, cut in half lengthwise. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Toss in a bowl with a touch of olive oil. Make sure that all of the carrots are coated with the oil.

Spoon the carrots onto a baking sheet. This one is dedicated to this process and has some wear and tear on it. Lay the carrots out on the baking sheet, and sprinkle Kosher salt over the carrots.

Set the timer for 10 minutes, and then move the carrots around on the tray, so they don't get too brown on one side. Set the timer for another 10 minutes, and repeat. It should take about 25-30 minutes to cook the carrots all of the way through, to tender, yummy joy. Store in the frig.